Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was late in joining the session so I apologise if I go over ground that may have been covered. I am extremely concerned about what I heard during the last few questions and answers. There seems to be almost an abdication of responsibility regarding the fundamental public policy goals we must achieve and even on the CRU's own strategic plan in terms of enabling security of supply and driving a low-carbon future. In everything we hear, there seems to be almost an abdication of responsibility for that to citizens as consumers. There is all this discussion of the competitive market and encouraging consumers to make choices and I worry that we are setting up to somehow blame individual citizens if we do not achieve the transition we need. We need to be really clear that the State has a responsibility and the CRU has a responsibility and significant powers and leverage as a regulator and that this power and leverage it has as a regulator are not simply around encouraging every citizen to think that it is his or her job to get the companies to do better or to reward companies with better policies. Lots of people are not in a position to do that. Many people who rely on electricity meters are particularly vulnerable.

Regarding security of supply, I do not accept the question of the daily amount and whether people can afford to access electricity with that daily figure. Security of supply for those people falls under the remit of the regulator to address. I am also very concerned about the idea that people can switch. Not everybody is in a position to shop around. For example, people with a disability are not necessarily in a position to choose certain hours of the day.

I do not want to get to a position where people are told they should be running it from midnight to 2 a.m. and that is the only way they will get the cost.